Forget Me Not...
by kaloy
Summary: This is actually just a teaser. I may continue this thing if I get at least one review, be it good or bad.


Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin belongs to Nobuhiro Watsuki. I'm only ripping him off. I fervently hope he doesn't sue me.  
  
I have no idea where this fits in the anime's continuity, and frankly, I don't care. This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction (although I don't think that's a valid excuse if I screw this up). 

  
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A Rurouni Kenshin (c) fanfic  
by karl

  
The Kamiya Dojo's closed doors stood before us, bathed in the pale light of the moon. As I looked into Katsuhiro's face, I couldn't help but shiver.  
  
"Are you sure about this, Katsuhiro?", I asked.  
  
"You know I am. Are you?", Katsuhiro answered, his face a mask of determination. The wind picked up, blowing some of his long black hair away from his face and revealing the only scar he had on his body: his  
left ear was missing. 

   
"Yes. Yes I am," I said, trying hard to control the trembling of my voice.  
  
"Then let us begin."  
  
With those words, Katsuhiro drew his sword from its scabbard and shouted out his challenge.   
  


"Battousai! Hittokiri Battousai! It's time to settle our score. Come out and fight me!", shouted Katsuhiro.  
  
_Well, this is it...,_   
  
I slid my own sword from its scabbard. The familiar sound of metal against leather brought a small sense of calm to my nerves.   
  
The doors of the dojo slid open, and there he was.   
  
Battousai. The slasher.  
  
"Here I am Katsuhiro. Let's get this over with," said Battousai.  
  
I stood transfixed, watching as Battousai approached Katsuhiro, his hand on the hilt of his sword. As Battousai pulled it from its sheath, I saw that the rumors I heard were true: his sword had a reversed edge.  
  
Holding his sword up high, Katsuhiro made the first move. His attack was so sudden that Battousai was only barely able to dodge Katsuhiro's sword. Battousai then countered with a slash to his enemy's midsection, which Katsuhiro deftly blocked. 

  
The wind picked up again, blowing through the trees and making an eerie sound. 

  
"Hey!"  
  
I turned around, looking for the source of that voice. It was not hard to spot the voice's owner. Dressed in white, the man was readily visible, even in the dim light.  
  
_So, this must be Sanosuke...,_   
  
"Good. A challenge."  
  
As I saw that Sanosuke had no weapons, I slid my sword back into its scabbard and placed it on the ground.  
  
"We do this hand to hand then," said Sanosuke.  
  
"How clever of you to notice," I said.  
  
"Why you!" shouted Sanosuke, his shoulder dropping as he started to run towards me with blinding speed.  
  
I wasn't expecting that move, and that cost me a few ribs. Fortunately, I was able to fall back and lessen the impact.   
  
I quickly countered with a kick to his face. That kick would have left a lesser man out cold, but Sanosuke only shrugged it off and proceeded to pummel me with his own blows. It was all I could do to parry and dodge them all and sneak in a few blows of my own.  
  
  
To my right, Battousai and Katsuhiro were still locked in battle. They were moving so fast that I couldn't tell who had the upper hand, although wherever they ended up, a few drops of blood quickly became visible on the dry ground. But I couldn't concentrate on their fight as I still had my hands full with my own.  
  
I was already starting to get tired, and I wasn't the only one. Sanosuke was drenched in sweat, not all his, and his blows were coming at a lesser rate now. Seeing an opening, I threw a punch at his stomach and quickly followed with another to his head.   
  
_That shook him up...,_   
  
Seeing a chance to end it, I stepped in closer to deliver another blow.   
  
My mistake.   
  
I had underestimated him. A solid punch to my face sent me reeling backward and crashing into the side of the dojo. Before I hit the ground, I saw Battousai standing over a beaten Katsuhiro.  
  
And that was when I saw her, standing in the doorway. Her long black hair flying in the wind, her eyes open wide as she looked at the fight.   
  
Kaoru. My beautiful Kaoru.  
  
A familiar gleam of light caught my eye. I had travelled long enough with Katsuhiro to know most of his dirty tricks, and I had grown accustomed to the way the light bounced off the small knives he hid on  
his belt.   
  
"If I can't kill you Battousai, then she will have to do!" shouted Katsuhiro, drawing two knives from his belt.   
  
Even before he had said those words, I knew immediately what Katsuhiro was about to do. Adrenaline flooded my system, and I fought back the urge to give in to unconsciousness. Two knives were already in the air when I was able to stand up, and I feared that I was already too late.   
  
"Kaoru!" shouted Battousai.  
  
"Kenshin!" she shouted.  
  
Everything slowed down and sharpened into focus. It seemed as though everything was frozen, with me and the knives the only things in motion. The knives suddenly looked very clear in the dim moonlight, and I could discern the way the leather was bound in the handle, the way the blades were chipped and stained. It was as if, given the time, I could count all the hairs on my outstretched hand. The knives moved very slowly, but I felt like I was even slower.  
  


_Kaoru.... I will not desert you this time!_

  
Then time started again.   
  
One knife hit me in the shoulder, and I was able to deflect the other one with my finger. I staggered forward. I tripped and fell, but Kaoru was able to catch me before I hit the floor. There was no pain from the knife wounds, but I knew they were there. And I knew that they were poisoned.  
  
"Kaoru...," I managed to say through clenched teeth.   
  
"Who... why...?"   
  
I so wanted to tell her who I was and why I saved her, but I couldn't. The posion was already working its way into my system. I reached out my hands and caressed her right cheek longingly. I smiled and felt both happy, for finally seeing her again, and sad, for dirtying her beautiful face.   
  
As I drifted off to the deep slumber that comes to us all, I could still hear her sweet voice. 

  
"He gave up his life for me," she said to Battousai and Sanosuke. "He saved me and he knew my name.  
  
"He knew my name... but I don't even know his."   
  
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End file.
